The Student Government Association Senate discussed on Monday solutions to class shopping that range from having advisers become more involved in scheduling to extending the add/drop period to the entire first week of classes. With regards to a $20 drop fee previously proposed by administrators, most senators either opposed it completely or said they felt it would not deter students from dropping classes after registration is closed.
“As far as the drop fee is concerned, that is a horrible idea,” Justin Michot, arts and science senator, said.
Others, like Ryan Perque, senator at large, had mixed feelings about the fee.
“I believe that students do have the right to drop classes,” Perque said, “but, at the same time, I think the $20 would stop people from scheduling unnecessary classes to just drop three of them. But I also think if it’s a class you really need to get out of for academic reasons, the $20 will not stop you .”
Several senators said proper advising would help curve class shopping and render the fee unnecessary.
Director of Public Relations Mia Coulon said she does not think the fee will solve the problem unless it is extremely high, and the best solution would be for academic advisers to be more involved in students’ scheduling.
Marquita Christy, director of students’ rights and grievances, said the University should list students’ advisers on ICAN because that feature has not been used. She also said the University Prep instructors should push students to see advisers and not practice class shopping. The University should also require students to see an adviser before scheduling, Christy said.
Business Senator Ryan Donegan said he has heard of advisers simply lifting students’ holds rather than advising them, which is the point of the hold.
The Senate also discussed the recently passed Texas law allowing students in public universities to withdraw from only six classes during their college careers. This idea was also met with mixed feelings.
Michot said while a cap on the amount of classes could work, six classes is too low and for him to support it there would have to be some kind of an appeal process for students who had met the maximum number of withdrawals.
Perque said he “strongly agreed” with Michot regarding an appeal process.
“You may have someone come into college a little unprepared and have to drop several classes early in their careers,” he said.
Business Senator Ben Comeaux spoke of reasons other than academic struggles that would cause students to drop classes. He said some students schedule classes not only for the course but also for the instructor only to go to class and have a different instructor than the one they scheduled.
“That is the University’s fault, and that is why I drop classes,” Comeaux said. “If they (the University) are not going to do their part, there’s no stopping it.”
Nursing and Allied Health Senators Amy Orgeron and Timbria Polk suggested the add/drop period be extended to the entire first week of classes.
“That first day of class doesn’t tell you much about your instructor,” Orgeron said.
Orgeron also said instructors should post their syllabi and course schedules online before the start of the semester so that students not anticipating a heavy workload in elective classes can withdraw before the add/drop period ends and students can no longer enroll in the classes.
